First on the list…get through the annual spring influx of bugs in the house. Ugh. Life in the country… (Husband brought a roach motel home to me yesterday. Romantic, eh? Granted, I’ve only seen about 2 or 3, but that is definitely 2 or 3 too many!) Oh, and the ants? I’m ready for you this year, you little rascals.

Secondly, I love getting fresh little bouquets from my kiddos on a regular basis. My little girl is becoming quite the expert at flower arranging.

How are your spring and summer plans shaping up?

I’ve recently tackled the boys’ room and have found that the easier it is to clean up, the quicker and less frustrating it is for them. They can take pride in a tidy space because they know where things belong and they don’t feel like the task is too daunting. First up…bags. These are just simple canvas bags from Hobby Lobby that I painted with acrylic paints. I’m sure you could find some sort of photo transfer tutorial or stencil to use, but I just free-handed mine. Some have been designated for certain types of toys, and others just have their initials for all those random trinkets and treasures.

I have baskets scattered around for toys as well, but these bags seem to really be helpful because they are easy for the little ones to carry around and gather toys that have been scattered about the house throughout the day.

Next up…the Chain Gang Organizer, pictured above. I’m a big fan. There is one in the girls’ room too. It keeps those stuffed animals off the floor, but still easily accesible. (Stuffed animals are really hard for my kids to get rid of. They all have names. Give me strength!) I’m wondering if one of these days they will need one for all their hats as well?

My boys also have a rather large collection of weaponry. This round basket has served us well in keeping all the swords and guns and bows and arrows together.

Lastly, the Lego collection. I have drooled over all different kinds of Lego organization systems on Pinterest, but for now (and for cost purposes), we’ve chosen to use underbed boxes with smaller tubs and baskets of bricks inside, divided by color and type. My kids basically did this on their own and seem to really enjoy having them color coded. I’ve been amazed at some of the things they’ve built since the whole reorganization took place. It was time well-spent.

So now you know some of the things that have been keeping me away from this blog. Organizing. (And laundry. Always laundry.)  What are some things that work for your family? What helps you give your kids the gift of organization?

The older kids were testing, so we moseyed about town, browsing some shops and talking. (He talked SO much!) He had a gift card to Sheetz so we went there to see what we could find for him to buy with it. He chose a Batman juice bottle and a treat that basically consisted of pure sugar and red dye. (Perhaps that had something to do with the constant chatter?)

He even came up with a game to play in the car. He told me that he was going to shout “chimney!” whenever he saw a chimney and he wanted me to count them. After about 58 of them (give or take) he declared that this was “weeeelllly” fun. Melt my heart. For real? That’s all it takes?

I often put off doing things with the kids because it doesn’t feel special enough or planned out properly or because I think I need to accomplish a few things before I should be allowed to play. But this week was such a well timed reminder that my kids don’t need all the special plans or the fancy crafts or snacks that take hours to prepare. Sometimes all they really need turns out to be pretty easy to give…just my presence and some genuine attentiveness, even if all we’re doing is going to Sheetz and counting chimneys. (We got to 117!) Man, I need to do that more often.

February has been exhausting, and we’ve been up to our eyeballs celebrating birthdays.  But it’s fun, isn’t it–making fun for others?

I’ve posted before about practices of celebrating Easter, but I like what Nancy Wilson has to say about making our thoughts worthy of Resurrection living.

Resurrection living is putting off the dead, earthly stuff and putting on Christ. And with Him comes all that is true and pure and honorable.

We’re trying something new this year as well. So far our hearts have quieted as we’ve been more aware of our sin, but also of Christ’s sacrifice on our behalf. So much to be thankful for!

Our family took a little trip this weekend to a Mom Heart Conference. It was all for me. Husby kept all the kids and did an awesome job being Mister Mom in a hotel while I got to listen to some great encouragement from Sally Clarkson and her crew. I went by myself but met a couple of new friends while I was basking in the joy of a little solitude. Isn’t God thoughtful, to put us in excellent company even when we are alone?

It was good for my heart, but I’m having a bit of a time processing the whole thing. I think it might take weeks. In the meantime, I have all these words floating around in my head. Some I already had in my head and heart before going and some were put there while I pondered everything these seasoned mothers, daughters, fathers and sons had to offer. I came away thinking there are things I’m doing well (which I was glad about!) and things I need help with. So here I sit, thinking about all this…looking at all my notes and doodles and trying to figure out how to serve my family best with what I heard.

Sympathy. Story.  Beauty. Subdue.  Hospitality. Hope. Authenticity. Legacy. Truth. Love. Forgiveness. Training. Discipline. Grace. Rest. Work Hard. Sacrifice. Serve. Fun. Feast.

I think, in a nutshell, I could summarize all this with the idea that I need to imitate Christ with my family. So often it doesn’t occur to me to apply the “do unto others” passage to my children. For shame! Sally said at one point, “You can’t seperate being a mom from being a Christian.” When she was encouraging us to look into our own hearts and nurture our relationship with him, she painted a vivid picture in my mind about “whispering the secrets of the kingdom into the hearts of our children.” How can I possibly do this, if my own heart is not in step with his?

With their ever changing needs, I think learning to be a steward over the lives of these kids will be a lifelong endeavor. But I’m in it for the long haul. And I’m trusting him to make it great.

This video is just a little taste of the messages I heard all weekend…things we all need to be reminded of on a regular basis. Enjoy!

Sally Clarkson – One Mom Heart to Another from Allan Spiers on Vimeo.

Just think about your parenting journey. There are long days when nagging, harping, reminding, and administering consequences abound. And then there are days when you feel like your resolve is paying off. After weeks of working on whining , for instance, you suddenly notice that it’s been a whole week since you’ve had to remind anyone to stop whining. How much happier everyone is because that little thing has been overcome!

Consistent discipline is exhausting. It’s not for the lazy, although let’s face it: we all get a little lazy from time to time. Still, resolving to help our kids through their issues with consistency is giving them a gift that will last forever. Instead of being labelled as a whiner, your child is known for his or her agreeable nature. BOOM. By taking the time to work it out, you have changed your child’s future and given them tools to overcome whining, perhaps to even help siblings and friends overcome it as well! Of course, we all know that whining is a life-long battle, at least it is in my heart. All the more reason to get at the roots while they are young.

So it may not seem like such a big deal that you pulled your newly walking toddler off the stairs for the 28th time today, but eventually she won’t even bother to try climbing them, because she knows it’s no use. BOOM. She’s safer and she knows and appreciates at least one more of her little boundaries. What a gift!

I’ve seen a couple of really helpful articles on parenting recently and thought I would pass them on eventually. Now seems as good a time as any. The first is a list of 15 tools for parents from Randall Goodgame. They are so creative but also really practical and positive. (Remember, even consistent discipline doesn’t have to be stern and accompanied by a frowny face all the time, although there is certainly a place for those things, in my book.)

The other one is just a list of really basic tips that are easy to forget from day to day. (Most of them are spot on, in my view, while a couple, like the “hug and kiss everyone” rule could use adjusting. We don’t ask our kids to hug or kiss people that aren’t family or really close friends.) Still, so many of them can make life much more pleasant for everyone if put into practice consistently. When I was reading through it, I noticed that there were several things from the list that our family has adopted over time. (Others we could definitely use a little help with.) For example, the “5 Minute Rule” is something we started doing with our first child and it has carried through. Imagine, as a child, how much easier it is to transition from play mode to time-to-go-home-and-go-to-bed mode if you know it’s coming and aren’t just whisked off to the car in an flurry. It’s an easy thing and demonstrates to our children that we respect them.

So, if being consistent in your parenting has you bogged down, as it’s sure to on occasion, try thinking of it as a gift you are giving your kids. We all love to give our kids things that will make them happy, right? This is just another one of those things. Discipline is another area where we are imitating our Father, showing our little ones the path of life with correction that is for their good –not trying to justify them before God by paying them back for their sins. It’s about their joy!

If reading these things is discouraging to you, just start with a few. Don’t try to change the world all at once…just take one step at a time.

Bwep-tist

Bettist

Bwek-fist

Beddist

Burptist

Brep-thist

How many ways have your kids found to pronouce this word?

And what is your favorite go-to breakfast?  Ours is pictured above. We call it egg-in-a-hole. I’ve also heard it called egg-in-a-frame, egg-in-a-basket, egg-in-a-nest. And yes, my kids devour them. I have to stop them at two each. I use Pioneer Woman’s method of cooking them up, only I put as many as I can on my griddle at one time.

I am constantly evaluating my own performance and weighing my success as a wife and mother by how much I get accomplished. Not healthy. (And when I recognize this type of thinking pattern in someone else, I am quick to call her on it and offer some reasonable encouragement.) Thankfully, the man I’m married to has an arsenal full of uplifting thoughts for this weary one and does so much to bring me back to reason and truth. In addition, he points me to good reading material that always helps to focus my thoughts on the truth.  Sally Clarkson’s words last week were so helpful to me, although I would probably add myself to the list of ciritcs that she mentions.

And so, I keep my mind and thoughts focussed on Him, and bring them back to that place of peace again and again. He loves me. He knows my limitations (He is mindful that I am but dust! Psalm 103) and like a good Father, still He loves me. (Even as a Father has compassion on his children … also Psalm 103.)–Sally Clarkson

So what has changed? I’ll just get over myself and tell you that we decided to have someone come on occasion and do some cleaning for us. WOW. I can’t believe I waited so long to let go of that control. I’m breathing a sigh of relief and finding myself able to concentrate a little more on things I enjoy so much more than housework. The load has been lightened significantly. I won’t say it was easy, admitting that I couldn’t keep up, but a burden certainly has been lifted. I might even let her clean the bathrooms eventually, but not yet.

Baby steps…